World Content
Geography (Cities, Locations, etc.) * There are three continents on Annor. ** Ys lies north of the equator and is the mythical home of the Eldest, now shunned as a haunted land, infested with all manner of ancient horrors. ** Asuria is the largest continent and extends from the equator almost to the south pole. It is the largest land mass and is home to most of the great and small mortal realms. ** Thune lies west of Asuria and is more of a vast archipelago than a single landmass. * A Blasted Wasteland where some magical disaster happened. ** References: *** Shattered Plains: http://stormlightarchive.wikia.com/wiki/Shattered_Plains *** Mournland: http://eberron.wikia.com/wiki/The_Mournland *** Magic works best in these areas and for some reason is limited in the more inhabitable areas. *** A once thriving culture of magic was wiped out and a vast wasteland left in its place. Other cultures surround this wasteland, but suffer from its loss. Library Idea: https://www.facebook.com/Curbed/videos/1347462065303719/ The Chandrian: Cool collective of villains. I like the Lore around them: http://kingkiller.wikia.com/wiki/The_Chandrian Cool Philosophy of Fighting: http://kingkiller.wikia.com/wiki/Lethani ---The Fade--- The Fade, known to some as The Beyond, is a metaphysical realm tied to the world. But separated by The Veil. Every living being in from the material plane enters the Fade when their spirit leaves their body after death, or mentally when they dream, and magic users tap into it when they cast spells. Most people do not remember their time in the Fade - mages being a distinct exception, as they are able normally to remain "conscious" while traveling there. Much of the Fade is split up into fiefs or demesnes belonging to the spirits or demons that live there, and they change the landscape of the Fade to emulate what they see in the minds of mortal dreamers. They copy locations, objects, people and concepts of the real world, often in a cruel or confusing way. These copies are nowhere near consistent, and fluctuate according to the movement of the dreamers. Spirits whose realms are flocked with visitors rise to rule great portions of the Fade, while memories and concepts forgotten in the real world slowly drift away back into the ether, the spirits who ruled them losing all potency. In its raw form the Fade is a twisted, world of swirling energy and dark rock where it is always night and gravity affects nothing equally. Gaps between dreams are such void places. Some ancient mages believed that the Fade was the realm of their Gods, and the Golden City was the center of the deities' power. Now, an island with the Black City, a shadowy metropolis with twisted spires seems to be the only constant feature of the Fade, always on the horizon. No one has managed to reach it since over-ambitious mages physically invaded the Fade in -395 Ancient (the first and last time such an attempt has been made). Even the most powerful spirits and demons keep their distance. Some claim that the Fade is magic itself. ---The Veil--- The Veil is a metaphysical barrier that exists between the physical the world as we know it and the Fade. Neither spirits nor mortal beings can easily pass physically through the Veil, but the consciousnesses of most mortal dreamers and all mages are a different matter (though the average dreamer is unlikely to ever be aware of such 'travels'). The Veil is not an object - it cannot be touched or seen. It is not a physical barrier, but rather something similar to a magical vibration that repels the Fade. It is a metaphor used by mortal scholars to explain the interactions between the two different realities. Some ancient tomes refer to "before the Veil, before the mysteries were forgotten", when dragons ruled the skies.' '---The Imperium--- The Tevinter Imperium is the longest existing human country and is ruled by a powerful magocracy. The leaders of the Imperium are called magisters, and are led by the Imperial Archon. In ancient times, the Imperium's power was unrivaled and its borders stretched across nearly the entire continent. In modern times, while Tevinter is a shadow of its former self in both size and power, it is still relatively powerful, and a major nation. Tevinter society is notoriously decadent yet also takes great pride in their history and culture. The Imperium treasures their past and preserves it, as indicated that everything they've built has been carefully preserved and renovated. Ambition and magical ability are the hallmarks of its ruling elite, the magisters. The ancient magister lords ruled the Imperium in the Circles of Magi, maintaining a tight hold over its people through the power to infiltrate their dreams using blood magic. Though blood magic is now banned in the Imperium, mages who practice it are quietly acknowledged as the most proficient mages and diviners. The ban is really only paid lip service to; even the most devout mages in Tevinter know at least the basics. This circumvention is often necessary in order to simply survive the deadly rivalries and competitions for power and influence amongst the Tevinter noble families, who only ever put aside their constant bickering to unify in the event of a major crisis such as acts of sedition amongst the indentured populace. To those outside of the Tevinter Imperium it is easy to imagine a society filled with mages and slaves and little else. In truth, there are three different Tevinters, each of them a world completely separated from the others. There are the mages, the land's nobility, completely obsessed with competing for supremacy with each other. The well-bred altus sneer at the laetans, who in turn sneer at the praeteri. They vie for dominance in the Magisterium, where factions shift and flow on a daily basis with deadly consequences, requiring every family to put on a veneer of perfect citizenship or face scandal and censure. Then there are the so-called soporati, the "sleepers." These are the non-magical citizens who vastly outnumber the mages, yet are beholden to their whims. Many are resentful of this status, plotting in secret, even as they secretly hope their children will possess magical talent—an enticing lure, since the talent could conceivably show up in anyone, even a slave. It would be easy to forget that Tevinter possesses a massive class of publicans, the civil servants and leaders of the Legionnaires. It has an enormous merchant class, enough teeming poor to drown any other nation, and the shadowy thieves called "praesumptor" who are practically treated with respect. And then there are the slaves. One would think they, at least, see each other as equals, but it is not so. The divide between the freed liberati, those who act as personal servants to magisters, those who work on farms and factories, and the "servus publicus" who do all the tasks proper citizens will not—it is all but insurmountable, but perhaps in emulation of those who own them, Imperial slaves will connive and scheme to try anyhow. Outsiders might see it as futile, but to Tevinter citizens, their nation's social classes are the most mutable and rewarding of merit. Social classes Tevinter society is highly stratified, with citizens classified into one of three levels depending on their ancestry and magical ability. Soporati All common citizens of the Imperium who are non-mages are considered part of the Soporati ("sleepers") social class. This is a mainly human class which is allowed to own property and serve in Tevinter's military but they have no real power in the nation's governance. Often they are found to be merchants. However, when a Soporati family produces a mage child — this is greatly desired in Tevinter— it allows them entrance into the Laetans class and thus a higher social standing. In general, the Soporati and ruling mage classes exist in a state of tension due to the inequality of their standing in the nation Laetans The next highest social level is that of Laetans, who are mages born into families that had up to that point shown no magical ability or who have been mages for generations but have no link to the higher Altus class. Altus Altus mages are believed to be descendents of the dreamers or magisters who possessed the ability to move in, and manipulate the Fade. Altus mages have returned to the upper echelon of Tevinter society. Slavery Slavery is still legal in Tevinter, uprisings are frequent but rarely successful, as are attempts by Tevinter politicians to abolish the practice Slaves can technically only be freed legally before a judge, but their owner must be present to make the degree. Otherwise, slaves may also be freed by their owner's will upon their death. Regardless of their freedom, slaves can not be considered citizens of Tevinter. Those who achieve freedom are instead sectioned into another class standing known as the "Liberati". The Liberati functions as a subclass, and those within it are granted very limited rights. Liberati are able to act as an apprentice in a trade, or join the Circle of Magi. Liberati are also able to own land and property, but are never granted the ability to join the military or have say in any form of governance. Some individual slaves do manage to free themselves, however, and may escape Tevinter. Some freed slaves, and even current slaves, may even become mage-killers or assassins, however, which can be considered a coup to a Magister who own them. ---Mortalitasi--- The Mortalitasi are a group of mages in Nevarra who wield considerable political power and influence. Popularly referred to as "Death Mages", they are responsible for the mummification of the bodies of the Nevarran elite. According to a Nevarran belief, when a soul of the dead crosses the Fade, it displaces a spirit. Based on that, the Mortalitasi believe that mummifying corpses provides a safe host for the displaced Fade spirits. The Mortalitasi draw wisps rather than intelligent spirits across the Veil. This school of thought is prominent in modern-day Nevarra, but viewed as barbaric by other nations. The Mortalitasi are linked to the royal family by blood, and it is common for Nevarran nobility to employ members of this order as advisers. The order studies death extensively, and its members are known to experiment with necromancy. It is not yet known if it is in the order's power to decide which corpse would have the honor to be preserved in the Grand Necropolis, a city preserved for the dead. Even though Mortalitasi are well-respected within the kingdom, mages outside Nevarra fear them and there are beliefs that they are actually a death cult performing macabre rituals in the Grand Necropolis. Facts about the world before the "dark times": # Fact one.... # At some point in history, the structure of the lands completely changed. This is found from relics found in desert/barren parts of Asuria showing depictions of water, images of fish and sea creatures, and texts about an old god/leader? - Krynnra. # People have used magic and technology to dive and explore the waters of Thune, and have found hard metal structures within the reefs and seabed. These are remnants of some pre-history society. This does not mean they are savage, this society was very advanced, and some calamity caused them to vanish, with only small remaining traces. Their relics are foreign and alien to any observers. History Something happened between the humans and the non humans, specifically the elves, a long time ago, that caused a major rift. Nobody talks about it, but over the centuries, legends and tales have risen about it, vilifying the other races as well as anyone who has any non-human blood. There's earlier history of completely different civilizations and races, stretching back long before this calamity. Ruins and artifacts completely alien to the people that stumble upon them. Crazy Idea: Up until a few hundred years ago humans used to be the slaves of dragon masters. Magic was forbidden to them (but not all of the dragon minions) and they built cities and civilizations, but only in the service of their masters. The state level organization of slaves dependent on the dragon type with metallic dragons creating more civilized nation states, and chromatic dragons more totalitarian states, or no organized government. Some humans prospered, some did not, but none were free. These dragon states (there were never more than 500 dragons) came to dominate the world and pushed the elves into the deep forests and the dwarves into the mountains and hills. They were so successful that eventually the dwarves and elves colluded to corrupt the dragon states and provided rebellious factions with magic weapons with which could pierce dragon hide. The rebellion was not even, but over the course of 150 years the dragons were driven out. In the aftermath of the rebellions the various human populations entered a cycle of creative renaissance, anarchy, and then power consolidation into the hands of empires (Ottoman) and regional strong men. While the help of the dwarves and elves was once sought, after a time suspicion turned on them as the humans began to question whether their motives were altruistic or self serving. The net result of this is that magic is relatively new to the humans, but the other races have long histories. Races Only Humans. Everyone is gifted or cursed or otherwise modified according to the alignment of the star/planets/etc. at birth. Some degree of Fey ancestry is present in everyone (maybe vestiges of the Eldest from above). Any perceivable fey ancestry is viewed as a mark of evil and is met with fear and suspicion by the general populace. Other races, particularly the ones who aren't human-passing, live in captive servitude or hidden. Much folklore exists about them, and their 'evil' and 'cursed' ways. Many "myths" surrounding other races have arisen: Orcs and Giants are pure savage evil, and should be killed on sight. Elves are uncivilized and swift forest-dwelling assassins (aka hashishin) who lack human compassion and empathy, Dwarves are idiotic burrowing creatures who would kill their own for a few diamonds, Fey abduct children and bathe in their blood, Halflings are thieves, Gnomes have no souls but are pretty decent tinkerers, so every well established human household should possess at least one Gnome. Fear divides the races, and even the various kingdoms of the same race. They avoid one another and even diplomatic relations with neighbors. Most warfare is limited to internal power struggles. Trading guilds operate, but with strict rules for transfer at the boundaries. Trading guild alliances constantly shift as mistrust drives them to find seek better deals. Despite this the trading guilds wield much power, sometimes surpassing that of the nobles. Their profits permit them to acquire new weapon technologies. knowledge, and magical resources that the isolated nobles can't afford. Recently, more children are being born with traits from the different mythical races. Pointed ears for halfling/elf, teeth/greenish coloring for Orc, children that grow very large in size, mimicking giants. The magical class is investigating, and the ruling class is trying to keep it quiet with bribes and other measures. Gods and Religion One Redeemer God/dess and one Corrupter God/dess. Each has it's list of saint-like followers that can be called upon for divine power but at a cost to one's soul - either pledged to "good" or beholden to evil. Souls are the fuel for some divine engine that powers the universe and so there is constant competition for faithful souls between the various orders that make up Annor. (would love a game mechanic for committing good/evil acts or calling on good/evil forces) The Redeemer is worshipped openly and has a great infrastructure of religious leadership who may or may not be true to their faith. Plenty of religious buildings, libraries, etc. throughout Asuria. The Corrupter is worshiped in secret with clandestine meeting places communicated through elaborate networks of agents. It is common for followers of the Redeemer to lose their faith and lose their souls to the Corrupter. These followers may even be high level members of the Church who seek to subtly lead their followers astray. Whole sects and orders may secretly be advancing the agenda of the Corrupter under the guise of their stated faith. Asuria has a strong centralized Church lead by a single leader. Thune has a great number of smaller sects who also follow the Redeemer but are viewed as evil heathens by the Asuruan Church. Magic is driven by Gunpowder, Alchemy, and the power of various low level spirits that are still lose from the age of the Eldest. This type of magic carries a more immediate price if ones soul is not protected properly from said spirits as lose spirits may simply devour the callers soul for energy. The darkest forms of magic require actively feeding souls to these spirits. This make real magic more of a roleplaying, quest-driven activity than something that has a strong game mechanic. The worship of the Ancient Gods has been banned. Many secret sects devoted to some of these gods are rumored to exist, even among high ranking humans, but nobody admits to it, for fear of repercussions. It is a dark time. Fear rules. The fey do steal children that wander into the woods. Nobles do bathe in the blood of innocents. These are not just stories, they happen with some frequency. And beyond this people have to deal with constant exploitation and demeaning of their worth by others. Trust is eroded and people have become secluded and fear to travel. This leads to more exploitation as word of misdeeds of does not spread and help never arrives. People take advantage of this to perpetuate more crimes and exploit one another without fear of getting caught or discovered and shamed. People pray to the gods, but out of fear. They pray to the good gods to protect them and offer up desperate prayers in secret to the gods they fear. People fear not only the gods, but their harsh rulers, and the strict religious orders that are allowed to operate openly. Old god - Krynnra, the Goddess?/Leader? of the Sea and Agriculture, is divinely beautiful, with dark skin, shoulder length, straight black hair, and eyes the color of bright emeralds. She is tall and muscular, and looks somewhat malicious ------------------------------------- Elven Gods: Elgar'nan: God of Righteous War Elgar'nan—also known as the All-Father, the Eldest of the Sun and He Who Overthrew His Father —represents fatherhood and warfare, and leads the pantheon with the goddess Mythal. His symbol is a radiant sun on a shield. His colors are red and gold. Many fighters will paint a sun symbol on their palms before a battle in the hopes of securing Elgar’nan’s favor. Mythal: the Great Protector Mythal, the Protector and the All-Mother, and goddess of love and passion. She is the patron of motherhood and justice and leads the pantheon with her male counterpart, Elgar'nan. She is a goddess of swift retribution and protector of children. Her symbol is a great tree with a crescent moon in its boughs. Her colors are sky blue and deep grey. Falon'a: Friend of the Dead, The Guide Falon’a is the elven goddess of birth and death, and guides the dead to the Beyond. She is seen as a kind, quiet goddess. Her colors are deep blue and copper. She and her twin brother, Dirthamen, are the eldest children of Elgar'nan the All-Father and Mythal the Protector. She counts both midwives and necromancers among her faithful. Elves understand that their bodies may be used one last time after their deaths, in defense of their people. Her necromancers treat the dead with a deep respect, setting them apart a bit from many others. Dirthamen: Keeper of Secrets Dirthamen is the twin brother of Falon'a and is the elven god of secrets and knowledge, and master of the two ravens Truth and Deceit. Dirthamen gave to elves the gift of knowledge and taught them loyalty and patience. He teaches that it is always better to have too much knowledge, than too little. Dirthamen encourages delving into arcane secrets and teasing out the mysteries of the universe. He is revered by both wizards and rogues, if for different aspects. His colors are burgundy and black. Andruil: Goddess of the Hunt Andruil is the elven Goddess of the Hunt, known also as The Huntress. She is commonly depicted with a large brown bear at her side, or a hawk on her arm. She is the goddess of wild creatures, and a prayer is said to her after taking the life of an animal. She is friend of the fae and a fierce opponent of those who would despoil nature. Her colors include all shades of green. Sylise: the Hearthkeeper Sylise, the Hearthkeeper, is the goddess of all the domestic arts and the sister of Andruil the Huntress. Sylise gave the elves fire, and taught them how to weave rope and thread, and to use herbs and magic for healing purposes. She encourages honesty, self-improvement, and selfless aid of one’s community. "The healer has the bloodiest hands." You cannot treat a wound without knowing how deep it goes. You cannot heal pain by hiding it. Her colors are blood red and silver. Jun: God of the Craft Jun is the elven Master of Crafts, and god of music. He is Sylise's husband and is depicted both as a craftsman and merchant. He taught the elves to make instruments, weapons, and weave magic into items. Almost all merchants have a small shrine to Jun in their stalls, as well as craftsmen in their workshops. His colors are iron grey and deep brown. Ghilan'na: Mother of the Herd Ghilan'na is called the Mother of the Herd — especially sacred to her are white deer revered by the elves — and goddess of dreams, navigation, and travel. She teaches trust in intuition, and her followers tend to develop eidetic memories. Carts are inscribed with her runes, and in elven lands there are small waystations for weary travelers in her honor. Her colors are purple and white. Ornthalas: Lord Tempest Ornthalas is the god of the sea, storms, and weather. He is not worshiped so much as appeased. Legend has it that he would die if he ever set foot on land, but the reasons vary from myth to myth. His sigil is carved into the keel of every ship. Sometimes people will place food in bowls outside when it’s storming, in hopes of making the unpleasant weather pass faster. His colors are grey and teal. ---- Crooked Warden: God of Thieves: https://camorr.obsidianportal.com/wikis/crooked-warden Prestige Class / Orders Magician (prestige class) - True magic is defined more by a willingness to engage in acts that are considered questionable than any particular skill. This means that a practitioner will pick up a couple levels in this to compliment another class. This class covers the various hexes, wards, and auguries that define magic in Annor. Magic is more covert than overt and spells selection should focus on fate-tilting buffs, minor conjuring, and curse like effects than the usual evocation stuff of classic D&D. Alchemist (Class) - UA alchemist with some more combat power in place of the spell list. Maybe a bit of a early-firearms bent implemented as a cantrip-like effect. Divine Casters and Healers - Very rare, especially those of the druidic vocation. Humans favor the more "scientific" alchemy over divine magic, which is viewed as vestigial of lost times, and favored by other races. However, healers in particular are often sought after clandestinely, and as long as they are not caught practicing the forbidden divine magic, can make quite a good living! Witches - sometimes magic can be scrounged from the old world, but with limited explanation, any expansion on it has become ritualistic, and more primal. Uses hexes, charm, illusion type. A great number of orders exist that claim to improve the lives of the downtrodden. Some aim to bring law, some light to the dark, some to improve the living standards. Most fail to achieve their goals and become warped. Those that claim to bring law, bring oppression. Those that bring light, bring light that is harsh and burns those who look at it. Those that claim to improve living standards, are best at improving their own living standard. Early technology, or magic infused technology. Since magic is hindered in cities, people have used technology to amplify it and use it in different ways (temperature control in houses, etc) and technological weapons or classes. Magic Items There are no magic items - relics grant greater favor from divine figures. Bonuses come from this favor but attract divine attention for good and ill. Relics can be capricious and may abandon/fail owners at inopportune times if not appeased. Similarly, the souls of previous owners may have become imprinted on the item leading to its accumulated power over time. The unpredictable nature of magic outside the Blasted Lands make it feared. People shudder at open magic for fear it will get out of control and bring another calamity. Mages that practice openly are banned. Magic from religious orders is also feared, but mainly because it is misused on the weak to bring fear to the populace and demonstrate the order's righteous authority in competition with other orders. Main Characters - PC Ideas Old west gunslinger type. "Kept gnome" servant Cossack assassin? Half Orc Feral/Shaman Druid - Nature is red of tooth and claw Category:Main Characters (PC ideas)